Ex-Castle Point MP Bob Spink denies tricking constituents

Ex-MP Bob Spink has been accused of submitting false signatures on nomination papers

An ex-Tory and UKIP MP accused of tricking constituents into signing electoral forms has told a court he made clear what the documents were.

Bob Spink, 69, who served as an MP for Castle Point, Essex, is accused of fraud during the Castle Point borough council elections in May last year.

He denies five counts of permitting a false signature to be included on a nomination form for a UKIP councillor.

Southwark Crown Court heard people thought they were signing a petition.

The court was told that at the the time, Mr Spink was principally collecting 100 signatures in his bid to become Essex's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) - an election he lost.

Bob Spink (right foreground) told the court he did not mislead constituents

Mr Spink, who is on trial alongside UKIP agent James Parkin, said he told one voter about his campaign to become PCC and "when I had his support I asked him if he would sign for the local government candidate".

He told the court he had also agreed to collect signatures in support of the local UKIP candidate while canvassing for his own campaign, which was "quite normal" practice.

"I was going round and James (Parkin) was with me and he said in some of those wards we need signatures for the local candidate as well," he said.

"So he said while you're there can you pick up signatures from our local supporters."

Mr Spink said he was with UKIP agent James Parkin, collecting signatures in his Police and Crime Commissioner campaign.

He added he had "nothing whatsoever" to do with the local borough election campaign.

Mr Spink, from Benfleet, Essex, was Conservative MP for Castle Point from 1992 - 1997, and again from 2001.

In 2008, he defected from the Conservative Party and joined UKIP, effectively becoming its first MP.

Mr Parkin, 38, of Canvey Island, Essex, denies six counts of the same offence as Mr Spink. He has admitted two similar charges.

The trial continues.